In the template image matching method disclosed in Hiroshi MURASE, V. V. Vinod, “Fast visual search using focused color matching—active search” Publication of The Institute of Electronic, Information and Communication Engineers, vol. J81-D-II, No. 9, pp. 2035-2042, September 1998 (Non-Patent Document 1), the active search method is proposed which is able to search a template fast by omitting matching transactions within the regions having the similarity which does not reach a predetermined threshold value θ. The regions are derived from an upper limit of the similarity of a periphery of the template image based on a feature such that, a similarity of a template image is not changed abruptly even though it is slightly moved.
Accordingly, the active search method achieves a fast detection of a position of the template image.